The hot list: from entertainment and technology to politics and finance, these 50 top players under 40 represent our editor's picks - Cover Story - BLACK ENTERPRISE's Hot List - Directory

Black Enterprise, Dec, 2003 by Tanisha A. Sykes, Robert Anthony, Siobhan Benet, Cliff Hocker, Tamara Holmes, Alan Hughes, Tykisha Lundy, Christina Morgan, Mayra R. Payne, Marcia Wade

They're young, bold, innovative, and powerful.

These characteristics--and more--have earned members of an exclusive cadre of professionals and entrepreneurs a spot on BLACK ENTERPRISE's Hot List--50 individuals under the age of 40 who are at the top of their game.

Why have we produced such a list? As global business undergoes yet another seismic shift in the post-New Economy era, we decided to examine and identify its emerging leadership Those featured on the next 14 pages have either transformed industries through innovative products and practices, broken new ground in a particular field, produced billions of dollars in revenue with their talent and business prowess, or influenced the strategic direction of some of the world's largest corporations. They have made a major impact in a number of industries, including media, finance, entertainment, and technology.

Just take a sneak peek at their sizzling performance Geneticist Colin Hill creates computer-simulated models of cancel to help pharmaceutical companies create more effective drugs. Amy Barnett, journalist wunderkind and editor of Teen People, made history by becoming the first black woman to ascend to the helm of a publication at Time Inc., the largest magazine publisher on the globe Goldman Sachs' Gregg A. Gonsalves manages billion-dollar transactions in the aerospace, defense, and chemical sectors Aaron McGruder, artist and creator of the critically acclaimed and controversial comic strip, The Boondocks, transformed a unique concept into an international brand that extends beyond the pages of your local newspaper into books, apparel, and film.

Now, as you marvel at the achievements of these movers and shakers, you can be sure or one thing: These young leaders will make up a force to be reckoned with for decades to come.

*Amy Barnett

Managing Editor Age: 34

Barnett is the first African American to head a major consumer magazine at Time Inc. As managing editor, she oversees the creative direction and serves as the public face of Teen People, which has a circulation of roughly 1.6 million. "It was a very organic transition," she says of her catapult into mainstream publishing. "Having worked in the urban market prepares you for being ahead of the curve in mainstream pop culture." Previously, Barnett served as editor-in-chief at Vanguarde Media's Honey for nearly three years, during which time the magazine's rate base doubled from 200,000 to 400,000.

Nicole Bernard

Foundation Executive Age: 37

An attorney by trade, Bernard is senior vice president of the Apollo Theater Foundation Inc, a nonprofit organization established in 1991 to preserve end enhance the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. Bernard's recent projects on behalf of the Apollo include negotiating and restructuring

the historic Showtime at the Apollo syndicated television series, the basis for Apollo Television.

Halle Berry

Actress & Producer Age: 37

Berry needs no introduction She's opening doors in front of and behind the scenes. She's the first African American woman to win an Oscar for best actress for her controversial role in Monster's Ball and the first Bond girl in the spy series' 40-year history to gain a spin-off for her character Jinx in Die Another Day, which grossed more than $160 million. Berry also gained notoriety for her many production projects such as The Dorothy Dandridge Story and the HB0 adaptation of Lackawanna Blues One of the only black actresses who can command a salary in the millions, Berry has several films in various stages of production, including Gothika and Catwoman.

Yvette Lee Bowser

Television Producer Age: 38

Before she was 30. Bowser became the first African American female to develop her own television series. New the president of SisterLee Productions, Bowser is currently serving as executive producer for the UPN series Half& Haft. After working as a writer for Bill Cosby's A Different World, she moved on to work as a producer for ABC's Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. In 1993, Bowser formed SisterLee Productions and in a collaborative effort with Fox and Warner Bros. Television, she created the hit series Living Single. The show is now in syndication.

Susan Chapman

Director Global Real Estate Age: 34

Over the past two years, Chapman has logged more than 200,000 miles flying across the globe, managing the 11-million-square-foot portfolio of network, office, and technical facilities outside North America for Level 3 Communications Inc. Splitting her time between London and Denver, this ambitious executive helped sustain the $4 billion communications and information services company through a nasty industry downturn. Many of Level 3's competitors have been unable to unload assets in the last few years, but Chapman and her team have closed more than $200 million in transactions in the last 15 months.

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter/Damon Dash

Entrepreneurs Age: 34/32

Jay-Z and Dash's $300 million empire, Roc-A-Fella Enterprises, is still going strong. The 8-year-old company boasts Roc-A-Fella Records, Rocawear, a leading urban clothing producer, and Roc-A-Fella Films, which produced State Property and Paid in Full, a film nominated by the Independent Spirit Awards for best first feature. What's next? Jay-Z, whose swan song CD, The Black Album, was released in November, hopes to appear on the silver screen